This invention relates generally to the field of additive manufacturing. In particular, the invention relates to atmosphere control in an additive manufacturing environment.
Additive manufacturing refers to a category of manufacturing methods characterized by the fact that the finished part is created by layer-wise construction of a plurality of thin sheets of material. Additive manufacturing may involve applying liquid or powder material to a workstage, then doing some combination of sintering, curing, melting, and/or cutting to create a layer. The process is repeated up to several thousand times to construct the desired finished component or article.
Various types of additive manufacturing are known. Examples include stereo lithography (additively manufacturing objects from layers of a cured photosensitive liquid), electron beam melting (using a powder as feedstock and selectively melting the powder using an electron beam), laser additive manufacturing (using a powder as a feedstock and selectively melting the powder using a laser), and laser object manufacturing (applying thin solid sheets of material over a workstage and using a laser to cut away unwanted portions).
Additive manufacturing processes typically require managed environments to protect the product from deterioration or contamination. Inert or otherwise unreactive gas flow atmospheres are typical. Argon, nitrogen, and, in some cases, vacuum environments are known in the art. The environmental control system of an additive manufacturing process is a critical component of the system.